[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E914-E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2020

  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I want to thank my

[[Page E915]]

friends, the co-chairs of the Democratic Women's Caucus, 
Representatives Speier, Frankel, Lawrence, Haaland, and Escobar, for 
organizing and convening this fitting tribute to a trailblazing 
American heroine.
  As a lawyer with the ACLU and as the second woman on the Supreme 
Court, Justice Ginsburg was a pioneer for reproductive rights, civil 
rights, and equal protection under the law. Without her leadership and 
conviction, the world would be a different place for women, people of 
color, the LGBTQI community, and others who have not been afforded 
equity and justice under the law. Her tenacious fight for gender 
equality in the face of powerful opposition, and her historic opinions 
and dissents on the bench, bent the arc of history towards justice.
  Her legal brilliance, bravery, and her commitment to a democracy that 
serves all, make her a model for the next Supreme Court Associate 
Justice and for all justices who follow.
  When Justice Ginsburg wrote decisions, she wrote with a clarity that 
helped the broader public understand the moral and legal issues at 
stake. She also had an empathy for the experiences of others. When I 
had the chance to meet and have dinner with her, I felt that she 
understood the particular challenges that Black women and women of 
color faced. And she was a powerful ally for justice movements whether 
they sought to dismantle unjust systems built along lines of race, 
ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation or gender identity.
  We mourn the loss of such a brilliant, bold and visionary woman whose 
legacy will continue to live. We have a responsibility to continue her 
fight for equality and justice.
  My thoughts are with her children, grandchildren and loved ones 
during this difficult time.

                          ____________________